List of Houston Cougars football seasons
The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH" (spoken as "U of H"). Houston has been a member of the Big 12 Conference since 2023. Since the beginning of the 2024 season, the Cougars have been coached by Willie Fritz, the program's 16th head coach. The team played its first season in 1946 and has since won or tied for 11 conference championships and six division championships. The Cougars have played in 30 post-season bowl games with a record of 13–16–1.[1][2] [3][4] [5][6]
Seasons
[edit]| Year | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jewell Wallace (Lone Star Conference) (1946–1947) | |||||||||
| 1946 | Houston | 4–6 | 1–4 | 5th | |||||
| 1947 | Houston | 3–8 | 0–6 | 7th | |||||
| Clyde Lee (Lone Star Conference) (1948) | |||||||||
| 1948 | Houston | 5–6 | 3–3 | 4th | |||||
| Clyde Lee (Gulf Coast Conference) (1949) | |||||||||
| 1949 | Houston | 5–4–1 | 1–2 | 3rd | |||||
| Clyde Lee (Independent) (1950) | |||||||||
| 1950 | Houston | 4–6 | |||||||
| Clyde Lee (Missouri Valley Conference) (1951–1954) | |||||||||
| 1951 | Houston | 6–5 | 2–2 | 4th | W Salad | ||||
| 1952 | Houston | 8–2 | 3–0 | 1st | 19 | ||||
| 1953 | Houston | 4–4–1 | 1–2 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1954 | Houston | 5–5 | 3–1 | 2nd | |||||
| Bill Meek (Missouri Valley Conference) (1955–1956) | |||||||||
| 1955 | Houston | 6–4 | 2–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1956 | Houston | 7–2–1 | 4–0 | 1st | |||||
| Hal Lahar (Missouri Valley Conference) (1957–1959) | |||||||||
| 1957 | Houston | 5–4–1 | 3–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1958 | Houston | 5–4 | 2–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1959 | Houston | 3–7 | 3–1 | T–1st | |||||
| Hal Lahar (Independent) (1960–1961) | |||||||||
| 1960 | Houston | 6–4 | |||||||
| 1961 | Houston | 5–4–1 | |||||||
| Bill Yeoman (Independent) (1962–1975) | |||||||||
| 1962 | Houston | 7–4 | W Tangerine | ||||||
| 1963 | Houston | 2–8 | |||||||
| 1964 | Houston | 2–6–1 | |||||||
| 1965 | Houston | 4–5–1 | |||||||
| 1966 | Houston | 8–2 | 17 | ||||||
| 1967 | Houston | 7–3 | Ineligible[n 1] | 19 | |||||
| 1968 | Houston | 6–2–2 | Ineligible[n 2] | 20 | 18 | ||||
| 1969 | Houston | 9–2 | W Astro-Bluebonnet | 16 | 12 | ||||
| 1970 | Houston | 8–3 | 13 | 19 | |||||
| 1971 | Houston | 9–3 | L Astro-Bluebonnet | 14 | 17 | ||||
| 1972 | Houston | 6–4–1 | |||||||
| 1973 | Houston | 11–1 | W Astro-Bluebonnet | 13 | 9 | ||||
| 1974 | Houston | 8–3–1 | T Astro-Bluebonnet | 11 | 19 | ||||
| 1975 | Houston | 2–8 | |||||||
| Bill Yeoman (Southwest Conference) (1976–1986) | |||||||||
| 1976 | Houston | 10–2 | 7–1 | T–1st | W Cotton | 4 | 4 | ||
| 1977 | Houston | 6–5 | 4–4 | T–4th | Ineligible[n 3] | ||||
| 1978 | Houston | 9–3 | 7–1 | 1st | L Cotton | 11 | 10 | ||
| 1979 | Houston | 11–1 | 7–1 | T–1st | W Cotton | 5 | 5 | ||
| 1980 | Houston | 7–5 | 5–3 | T–2nd | W Garden State | ||||
| 1981 | Houston | 7–4–1 | 5–2–1 | 3rd | L Sun | ||||
| 1982 | Houston | 5–5–1 | 4–3–1 | 4th | |||||
| 1983 | Houston | 4–7 | 3–5 | 7th | |||||
| 1984 | Houston | 7–5 | 6–2 | T–1st | L Cotton | ||||
| 1985 | Houston | 4–7 | 3–5 | 6th | |||||
| 1986 | Houston | 1–10 | 0–8 | 9th | |||||
| Jack Pardee (Southwest Conference) (1987–1989) | |||||||||
| 1987 | Houston | 4–6–1 | 2–4–1 | 7th | |||||
| 1988 | Houston | 9–3 | 5–2 | 3rd | L Aloha | 18 | |||
| 1989 | Houston | 9–2 | 6–2 | T–2nd | Ineligible[n 4] | [n 4] | 14 | ||
| John Jenkins (Southwest Conference) (1990–1992) | |||||||||
| 1990 | Houston | 10–1 | 7–1 | 2nd | Ineligible[n 5] | [n 5] | 10 | ||
| 1991 | Houston | 4–7 | 3–5 | 7th | |||||
| 1992 | Houston | 4–7 | 2–5 | 7th | |||||
| Kim Helton (Southwest Conference) (1993–1995) | |||||||||
| 1993 | Houston | 1–9–1 | 1–5–1 | T–7th | |||||
| 1994 | Houston | 1–10 | 1–6 | 6th | |||||
| 1995 | Houston | 2–9 | 2–5 | 5th | |||||
| Kim Helton (Conference USA) (1996–1999) | |||||||||
| 1996 | Houston | 7–5 | 4–1 | T–1st | L Liberty | ||||
| 1997 | Houston | 3–8 | 2–4 | T–4th | |||||
| 1998 | Houston | 3–8 | 2–4 | T–5th | |||||
| 1999 | Houston | 7–4 | 3–3 | 6th | |||||
| Dana Dimel (Conference USA) (2000–2002) | |||||||||
| 2000 | Houston | 3–8 | 2–5 | T–7th | |||||
| 2001 | Houston | 0–11 | 0–7 | 10th | |||||
| 2002 | Houston | 5–7 | 3–5 | 8th | |||||
| Art Briles (Conference USA) (2003–2007) | |||||||||
| 2003 | Houston | 7–6 | 4–4 | T–6th | L Hawai'i | ||||
| 2004 | Houston | 3–8 | 3–5 | T–5th | |||||
| 2005 | Houston | 6–6 | 4–4 | T–3rd (West) | L Fort Worth | ||||
| 2006 | Houston | 10–4 | 7–1 | 1st (West) | L Liberty | ||||
| 2007 | Houston[n 6] | 8–5[n 6] | 6–2 | T–1st (West) | L Texas | ||||
| Kevin Sumlin (Conference USA) (2008–2011) | |||||||||
| 2008 | Houston | 8–5 | 6–2 | 3rd (West) | W Armed Forces | ||||
| 2009 | Houston | 10–4 | 6–2 | T–1st (West) | L Armed Forces | ||||
| 2010 | Houston | 5–7 | 4–4 | 3rd (West) | |||||
| 2011 | Houston[n 7] | 13–1[n 7] | 8–0 | 1st (West) | W TicketCity | 14 | 18 | ||
| Tony Levine (Conference USA) (2012) | |||||||||
| 2012 | Houston | 5–7 | 4–4 | T–3rd (West) | |||||
| Tony Levine (American Athletic Conference) (2013–2014) | |||||||||
| 2013 | Houston | 8–5 | 5–3 | 4th | L BBVA Compass | ||||
| 2014 | Houston[n 8] | 8–5[n 8] | 5–3 | T–4th | W Armed Forces | ||||
| Tom Herman (American Athletic Conference) (2015–2016) | |||||||||
| 2015 | Houston | 13–1 | 7–1 | T–1st (West) | W Peach† | 8 | 8 | ||
| 2016 | Houston[n 9] | 9–4[n 9] | 5–3 | T–3rd (West) | L Las Vegas | ||||
| Major Applewhite (American Athletic Conference) (2017–2018) | |||||||||
| 2017 | Houston | 7–5 | 5–3 | 2nd (West) | L Hawai'i | ||||
| 2018 | Houston | 8–5 | 5–3 | T–1st (West) | L Armed Forces | ||||
| Dana Holgorsen (American Athletic Conference) (2019–2022) | |||||||||
| 2019 | Houston | 4–8 | 2–6 | T–5th (West) | |||||
| 2020 | Houston | 3–5 | 3–3 | 6th | L New Mexico | ||||
| 2021 | Houston | 12–2 | 8–0 | T–1st | W Birmingham | 17 | 17 | ||
| 2022 | Houston | 8–5 | 5–3 | T–4th | W Independence | ||||
| Dana Holgorsen (Big 12 Conference) (2023) | |||||||||
| 2023 | Houston | 4–8 | 2–7 | T–11th | |||||
| Willie Fritz (Big 12 Conference) (2024–present) | |||||||||
| 2024 | Houston | 4–8 | 3–6 | T–11th | |||||
| Total: | 476–402–15 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Notes
[edit]- ^ At this time, Houston was on probation from the NCAA, and therefore was not eligible to compete in any post-season bowl games.
- ^ At this time, Houston was on probation from the NCAA, and therefore was not eligible to compete in any post-season bowl games.
- ^ Houston was put on probation during this season for recruiting violations and was unable to compete in any bowl games.
- ^ a b Under probation by the NCAA from rules violated in prior seasons, Houston was disallowed from participating in a bowl game, television appearances, and the Coaches Poll.
- ^ a b Due to NCAA sanctions, Houston was ineligible to be invited to a bowl game and was banned from being ranked in the Coaches Poll.
- ^ a b After Briles resigned to accept the head coaching job at Baylor, Chris Thurmond served as interim head coach for the 2007 Texas Bowl.
- ^ a b Sumlin left for Texas A&M University following the regular season. Tony Levine served as interim head coach for the Cougars in the TicketCity Bowl.
- ^ a b David Gibbs coached the 2015 Armed Forces Bowl after Levine was fired.
- ^ a b Herman left for Texas after the regular season; new head coach Major Applewhite coached the Cougars against San Diego State in the Las Vegas Bowl.
References
[edit]- ^ "Houston Yearly Totals". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on December 6, 2010. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
- ^ "Houston Historical Data". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on December 4, 2010. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
- ^ "Houston Championships". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on February 16, 2010. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
- ^ "Football Record Book" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 21, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
- ^ "Houston Bowl History". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on December 6, 2010. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
- ^ "Houston In the Polls". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on December 6, 2010. Retrieved November 29, 2010.